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= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
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.:»:=££### SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# AND A GIFT SHOP. #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### CONSIDERED POOR. ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### == ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## == == ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# »»»»»»» = = »»»»»»» #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ == == ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# == #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# LIT FROM BEHIND. #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### == ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## == == ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# »»»»»»» = = »»»»»»» #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ == == ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# == #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## FLOOR. ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## BECOME STILL. ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## == ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# == == #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ »»»»»»» = = »»»»»»» ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# == == #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## == ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER #££=:»:...
..:»:=££## THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ##££=:»:..
.:»:=££### GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ###££=:»:.
..:»:=££## I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ##££=:»:..
...:»:=££# THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? #££=:»:...
....:»:=££ ££=:»:....
...:»:=££# I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. #££=:»:...
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